Ash's Curse
by King Codrian Drasil
Summary: Ash has suffered a heavy blow in his past; he was betrayed and abandoned by his friends and experimented on by Team Rocket. Since then, he has lived his life in seclusion, but when he meets a mysterious girl, he begins to have second thoughts... AshXOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Betrayal, Mutation, and Seclusion

"Darkness… loneliness… sadness… all of this has made up my life for the past four years…" muttered a young man standing on the roof of an office building. He looked to be about 17, had long, raven black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail that went halfway down his back, and had a chocolate brown left eye, the right being covered by his hair. He wore a sleeveless, tight-fitting dark grey shirt, a dark blue tie, a black jacket, black fingerless gloves, blue jeans, and gray trainer shoes. What really stood out about him, though, was the fact that he had raven black wings and a pale white tail with what appeared to be a blue energy ring circling around it. Perched on his shoulder was a small, yellow mouse with long, pointy ears and a tail resembling a lightning bolt. The rodent looked at the teen with sad eyes. "You're thinking about that day again, aren't you, Ash?" it asked. So it could talk, then. The teen, apparently named Ash, looked back at the creature with a depressed expression. "I told you before, Pikachu, as of the incident, I go by my full name; Ashura Nozuna Ketchum, or, just Ashura." He paused for a second before resuming his statement, "You know, considering I can understand you now, I guess this mutation has a few upsides, key word; few." So he wasn't always like this…

(Flashback)

Four years ago, Ash, Iris, and Cilan were returning home to Pallet Town, where all his friends from the past were waiting to welcome him. Things were going smoothly until a certain group of failures, also known as Team Rocket, interrupted their reunion. However, instead of going after just Pikachu, they kidnapped Ash too! The group did their best to free him, but to no avail. But what shocked Ash the most was that after their futile attempts… they just gave up! The raven haired boy looked back with tears; his friends had just given up on him and left him to suffer. Team Rocket then took the poor boy to their headquarters… where hell was waiting…

…and hell it was. They didn't just torture him; they conducted experiments on him. Apparently they were working on a way to create half-pokémon. And they would have succeeded, had a miracle not happened. One of the captive pokémon escaped, destroying the lab and freeing the trainer, who took no time rescuing Pikachu and getting the hell out of there. Unfortunately, when he went to a nearby lake, he saw that the experiments took their toll on him; he now had wings and a tail. Not only that, his right eye was mutated; it was now deep blue with a black sclera and a slit pupil. Seeing what Team Rocket had done to him and remembering how his friends abandoned him, Ash decided on one thing… he would never trust anyone again. He snuck into Professor Oak's lab that night, took a few of his pokéballs, and left without a trace. The teen then snuck into his house, and left a note where his mother slept:

Dear Mom,  
>I'm sorry to do this, but it's clear I have no friends; they all abandoned me. So I'm leaving. For good. Don't bother looking for me. I need to find my place in this world. I love you dearly, and I'm grateful to you for everything you've done for me, but sadly, it's time for me to go…<p>

Goodbye forever,  
>Ashura Kyon Ketchum<br>P.S.: If Professor Oak notices some of my Pokémon are missing, I took them with me, as well as some Pokémon food.

… And with that, Ash was gone in an instant…

(Present)

The young man cringed at that thought. He had no one except a few of his pokémon. He got by in life by doing two things: working as a mercenary for the police, and gambling; which he made billions by doing, by the way. He also became a highly powerful Pokémon Trainer, and even became a highly powerful Aura Alchemist. But even with all this success, he still couldn't recover from the pain he suffered years ago… but that would change soon…


	2. Chapter 2: The Crystal Raven

Chapter Two: The Crystal Raven

Nightfall approaches in a place called Karasu Town, a fairly large town that still had a calming atmosphere. However, rumors have spread about a rouge Aura Alchemist roaming the town. The police are concerned about this; if this mystery person is hostile, innocent people could get hurt. So they figure that the best person to get into an Aura Alchemist's head is another Aura Alchemist... one who has a pikachu perched upon his shoulder...

... and that very Aura Alchemist was standing atop a tall building near the center of town: Ashura Nozuna Ketchum, who was well know by another alias... "Crystal Raven! Are you there?" a voice came from behind him. He turned to see who it was; it was the town's local Officer Jenny. She had blue hair, green eyes, and wore a blue police uniform. "Yes, Officer." he replied. "The other alchemist is on the move. We don't know if she's hostile or not, but we need to find out soon!" She explained to the apparent "Crystal Raven". "This person has been spotted running to the center of town. Can you handle this?" "Yeah... I think so..." the teen answered before moving to the edge of the building. In one second, he jumped off and used his wings to descend.

Meanwhile, the rogue had entered the town's center. This alchemist had long white hair, dark skin, and pale blue eyes. She wore a white cloak, teal tube top, dark blue jeans, and cobalt sneakers. The alchemist wore a panicked expression as a strange, glowing circle began to glow around her. Before she knew what happened, a figure with raven black wings and a pale white tail came into view. "You know, we only wanna help you!" Ash yelled out to the rogue, who retaliated by summoning a barrage of Aura Spheres. Ashura merely chuckled as he deflected the barrage. "Aura Spheres? You do know that's a basic Guardian technique, right?" This earned him another barrage; this time of strange white vines, each swarmed by a flurry of white feathers. Ashura stood still for a second, and then, just as the vines were about to reach him, summoned a wall of elegant black crystals from the ground. So that's why he's called the Crystal Raven, then. The vines came into contact with the wall, and were suddenly disintegrated!

Seeing this, the rogue began to flee, but was surrounded by another wall of crystals. Ash had her cornered now. "Leave me alone!" the female alchemist screamed at the boy, who was now mere inches away. He then rested his hand on her shoulder, a blush appearing on his face. "Relax... we only want to know why you're causing these strange transmutations." Ashura calmly reassured. Tears began to flow from the girl's face. "Maybe we can help you with your problems..." As he said that, the girl had buried her face in his shoulder. He began to rub her back, trying to comfort her. The two then went to the central police station; Ash had explained what had happened and asked the officers if they could help her open up. What would come next would be a surprise for Ash...


	3. Chapter 3: Enter Yuna Toumeinayuki

_**Chapter Three: The Rogue Reveals Herself. Enter Yuna Toumeinayuki.**_

The rogue that had roamed the town was now sitting in one of the living quarters at a local Pokémon Center after having been moved from the police station. She examined her surroundings with a depressed look on her face. The room had a single bed, a drawer for storing belongings, a wood desk, and a window with a view of a lake that was near both the center and the general town. 'Why... why is everyone after me? I was just... looking for somewhere to go...' she thought to herself. Her thoughts were cut off when two figures entered the room. The first was a woman with blue hair, tied in a rather spiky ponytail, and hazel eyes. She wore a blue police uniform, complete with a blue, cylindrical cap. The other was Ashura, the same winged man that she met in town. "What do you want with me?" the female alchemist panicked. The raven haired teen suddenly put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, miss." He began, "Officer Jenny and I only want to help." She began to calm her nerves and looked at the winged man.

"That's better... now, what might your name be?" Officer Jenny questioned. "... It's Yuna... Yuna Toumeinayuki..." said the white haired girl. "My name is Ashura Nozuna Ketchum, but you can just call me Ash..." the winged teen introduced himself as a small blush formed on his face. 'Damn. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. I can sense pain in her though...' thought Ashura, '...What am I saying? Remember what happened last time you trusted people? Yeah, but... she seems trustworthy... fine, whatever...' he finished the argument in his mind before returning his attention to Yuna and speaking, "Now, what brings you here?" the white haired girl removed her cloak, revealing something that shocked Officer Jenny to the core; Yuna's right arm was covered in white vines that appeared rooted into it!

She soon flinched at the two, thinking that they would attack. However, Ash simply removed his jacket, revealing a tight-fitting, gray shirt, as well as something else; a right arm made entirely out of crystal! He then began to speak, "It's okay, Yuna. I'm like you..." the girl then glared furiously at the male, tears in her eyes. "YOU'RE NOTHING LIKE ME! YOU DON'T KNOW THE PAIN I'VE FELT! The pain... of betrayal..." she yelled the first part, but lowered her voice at the second, fighting back tears. Ashura then wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Why don't you tell us what happened... maybe we can help you..." "Okay..." Yuna began.

_*flashback*_

It was afternoon in a clearing amidst a forest, and a 15 year old girl that looked like Yuna was communing with a group of native Shinx, blue cat-like Pokémon with yellow eyes, black rear body, and a star shape at the tip of its tail, however, a group of people in black uniforms had arrived and scared off the shinx. Among the people were a man and woman that shared traits with the girl. "Mom? Dad? What are you doing? Who are they?" Yuna had asked them. "Silence, you mutant!" the father began, followed by the mother, "You are no daughter of ours! Men! Take her away and lock her up!" as soon as she gave the command, the group, slowly approached her, meaning to hurt her. Seeing this, the girl quickly fled to the nearby woods.

After running for a good five minutes, she lost them and began crying. "... I can't believe it... mom and dad hate me... and want to hurt me..." she quietly whispered in between sobs. She lay there on the ground for what seemed like hours, still crying, until a woman looking to be in her early thirties stood in front of her. "You seem upset. I happened to see what occurred in the clearing... Come on, I'll take you home..." the older woman offered, "By the way, I'm Elena." Having nowhere else to go, Yuna followed her to her home, and became close with her. The two lived happily for the next three years...

... that's when things took a turn for the worse. One day, the same people that tried to hurt Yuna had broken in. Knowing who they were, the older woman turned to Yuna and yelled, "Hurry, Yuna! You must escape!" Yuna tried to argue, but then realized there was no time, so she fled as her caretaker told her. She was just out of the forest when loud gunshots were heard from behind. Yuna faced the forest and began to cry, "No! Elena!" she then glared at the forest and yelled to it. "YOU BASTARDS! I HATE YOU!"

_*Present*_

Yuna had finished her story, tears now running don her eyes. Ash, who was still shocked at the whole story, couldn't help but shed a few tears of his own. He quickly embraced her and whispered in her ear, "It's okay... I know your pain..." "...R-really?" she managed to respond, her sobbing dying down. Ashura then began to tell his story of how his friends had abandoned him, and how he was experimented on. By the end of it, she began to sob again, and even Ash was shedding tears. "...I can't believe it... you... had to suffer that?" He nodded affirmative before Yuna had wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder.

After a few minutes, their crying had stopped, and Yuna had finally calmed down. That's when Ash began to speak. "You know, if you don't have a place to go, you can stay at my place..." She pondered this for a second. "Thanks... but I don't want to impose..." she then felt a finger pressed against her lips. Ash had gestured her to stop. "It's okay. I don't mind. In fact, I'd be glad to have you stay!" he resumed. After reconsidering it, she finally made her decision, "Okay. I'll stay with you..." and with that, the two embraced again. "Well, it's settled..." Officer Jenny, who had been silent for most of the conversation, began to speak. "I'll let the others know that everything's been taken care of!" The officer then left the room, prompting Ash and Yuna to do the same. This was the start of something new. A second chance at happiness; for both Yuna and Ash...


	4. Chapter 4: The Phantom Alchemist

_**Chapter Four: The Phantom Alchemist and the Mysterious Stone**_

Morning came to a fairly large house in the outskirts of Karasu Town. Inside one of the bedrooms (which had a modern Japanese style), Yuna began to awaken. She quickly scanned the room in surprise before remembering. "Oh, yeah. I'm staying at Ashura's house." The girl slowly got out of bed to stretch when she heard her new friend Ashura's voice call her. "Yuna! I've made breakfast!" She smiled at those words; she couldn't believe someone she just met would be kind enough to make breakfast for her. "I'll be right down!" she replied.

After breakfast, Ash and Yuna had decided to roam around town. "It's good to not have to duck and cover anymore." The white-haired girl began. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me." The raven-haired simply smiled at her. Pikachu wore a shocked expression; this was the first time he had smiled since... _**that day**_. "It's no problem. No one should ever have to go through what you have..." he responded to his new friend. Their conversation, however, was interrupted by a man running towards them.

This man wore a panicked look on his face, and he was hyperventilating. Ash quickly stopped the man, trying to calm him down. "Woah, there! What's going on?" The male quickly broke free. "You guys should be running! There's a madman in Town Square, and he's attacking people with weird white crystals!" he shouted before running away in terror. "Looks like shit's going down at Town Square!" Ash relayed to Yuna. "Right! Let's check it out!"

The two alchemists reached the scene of the disturbance within a minute... and were greatly shocked at what they saw. Standing there was a young man in a cloak, who appeared to be in his teens. Coming from the hood were a couple of locks of snow white hair. The figure turned to the two young alchemists before clenching his fist; strange, white-and-red energy emanating from it. In that instant, large, white crystals shot up from the ground! Each had a sinister red glow emanating from it.

"Was that... Aura Alchemy?" Ash exclaimed. How could someone be capable of Crystal Alchemy; that was Ash's specialty! "Why, yes... it was..." the cloaked man replied to Ashura's exclamation, in a voice similar to his. Yuna spoke up at that instant, "And just who the bloody hell are you?" the man merely chuckled at the girl's bark. "I am known as the Phantom Alchemist... but you may call me by my name... Nikura."

Ash wasted no time in charging at Nikura, his fist charged with a black-and-blue aura. The sinister alchemist merely side-stepped, causing the raven-haired teen to miss, and ultimately fall down. "Seriously? That's the best you can do?" Ash got back up, now more pissed off than ever. "Let me show you what _**real**_ Aura Power is!" Nikura taunted as he charged a red-and-white Aura Sphere. A sinister vibe emitted from the sphere, causing a chilling atmosphere to develop. With no hesitation, he launched the Dark Aura Sphere towards Ash, who barely made it out of the way.

Nikura was starting to get annoyed. "I've had enough of your childish games! Tell me where the Tenshi Stone is!" Tenshi Stone? What was that? The two pure Alchemists merely tilted their heads in confusion. Nikura took notice of this. "Fine! It seems you know nothing of the stone. But mark my words, this isn't the last time we will meet!" he roared as he summoned a swarm of dark particles. When the particles disappeared, so did he.

"Tenshi Stone?" Yuna asked her friend Ash, to which he just shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, a voice called from behind them. "Excuse me! I think I can help with that!" It was a woman in her late-thirties, with red hair and gray eyes. "Who are you?" the two alchemists asked simultaneously. "Oh! Pardon my manners! My name is Nanako." she introduced. "Come! We'll talk more at my house!" And with that, they followed her.

At Nanako's house, Ash and Yuna waited in the living room for their host. The woman suddenly came in with an old book, a plate of Japanese dumplings, and tea. "Refreshments? I always find them to calm my nerves after a long day." "Thank you." the teens responded as they each took a dumpling. "Anyway, the stone you've heard about, the Tenshi Stone, is a legend famous among Aura Alchemists. Actually, it's known by Aura Users in general." she began as she handed the book over to them. "You'll find the answers to your question in here." In the book was a picture of a sky-blue orb.

"Okay. The Tenshi Stone. An artifact of unimaginable power." Ash began reading the book, Yuna reading it from next to him. "Long ago, this stone brought prosperity to the world. But in order to keep it from falling in the wrong hands, it was sealed away in a hidden shrine, and the recipe for creating one has been lost for ages. Whoever possesses this stone will have greatly enhanced Aura Power..." Ash stopped in an instant. His eyes became wide after reading the book's contents. Yuna looked at him with concern. "Ash? What's wrong?" The boy didn't answer. He gazed forward for a moment before speaking in a hushed, yet still audible voice. "This means... I can finally return to normal... I can get my life back..."

This was it. The cure to his malformation. All he had to do now was find it...


	5. Chapter 5: Haunted by the Past

_**Chapter Five: Haunted by the Past**_

_"Please... get me outta here!" a young, raven-haired boy called out to his friends. He was trapped in the grip of a giant robot, which had a large, red 'R' on it... but they didn't respond; instead, they quickly fled the scene. "Why..." the boy whispered. He had just been abandoned... and now he was at the mercy of his kidnappers; a man, a woman, and a Pokémon. They pulled out surgical tools and neared him. "No... please..." his pleas were ignored as the woman jabbed him with a scalpel._

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" the scream came from a certain raven-haired alchemist, who quickly awoke in a cold sweat. He began breathing heavily; he had just awoken from a horrible nightmare. And not just any nightmare... the haunting memory from the day he was abandoned. He slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead and lay his head back down on the pillow.

Not long after, Yuna came in, concern etched on her face. "Ash? Are you okay?" she asked her friend. He merely shook his head at the question. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare..." However, the girl could tell this was more than a nightmare. She approached Ashura and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You were having a nightmare about _that day_, weren't you?" Ash merely looked down, a depressed look on his face. That's when she inched next to him. "Here. Why don't I stick with you for tonight? If it's okay, that is..." the boy's only response was him wrapping his arms around her. She lay down next to him, pulling the comforter over them. "Good Night, Ash..." were her last words before they drifted to sleep.

The next day was the day of the Wallace Cup, which was being held in Karasu Town. Yuna had always wanted to see one, so Ashura took her to the event. After the first few appeal rounds, a woman with dark-blonde hair and blue eyes came up to the stage. "What a wonderful performance! And now for our next contestant..." She paused for a second in order to create dramatic tension among the audience. "... May Maple from Petalburg!"

Those were it. Those words were enough to make Ash scowl in disgust. The sight that followed, even more so. A brunette girl with blue eyes came onto the stage. She wore a look of confidence on her face, which pissed Ashura off even more. Yuna noticed this and turned to him. "Ash? Is something wrong?" He simply got up and began to walk away. He couldn't take it anymore. "Sorry, Yuna. I just need to step out for a while. Come get me when _she's_ off the stage." And with that, he was gone.

_'What's with him? He seems troubled by something...'_ She thought to herself. She'd find out soon enough, though... and make some new enemies...


	6. Chapter 6: RunIn With Traitors

_**Chapter Six: Run-in with Traitors**_

After the appeal rounds ended, Yuna went outside of the Contest Auditorium to confront Ash. "What's wrong with you? You've been pissy since that May Maple girl came out." she asked her friend, wanting to know what was wrong so that she could help him. He simply winced at the mention of May.

All of the sudden, the announcer woman began to speak over the intercom. "And that's it for the appeal round! Time to see who moves on to the second round!" And with that, the pictures of various coordinators appeared. Among them was May. However, there was another that irked Ash; a girl with blue hair and eyes. "Oh, great! That asshole Dawn Berlitz is here too!" Ash spat venomously. Yuna looked up at the screen and immediately saw what he was talking about. "Who, them? What do you have against them?" she pondered.

"You want to know _why_ I hate them?" Ash glared back at her, tears in his eyes. For some reason, he had lifted the bang from over his right eye, revealing the mutation there. After, he removed his jacket, revealing his wings and crystal arm. "IT'S BECAUSE OF THEM THAT I'M LIKE THIS!" Yuna widened her eyes at the realization. "They... they're the ones that abandoned you?" Ash took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. When he was finally calm- well, calm-_er_- , he began to respond. "Two of them, yes..." So there were more, then...

Yuna tried to hold back tears in her eyes as she approached Ash. She gave him back his jacket and began to rub his back in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm so sorry... I didn't know..." The boy began to cry in her shoulder. He just couldn't take it anymore. The white-haired alchemist continued rubbing his back. She couldn't help but shed some tears of her own. After a minute, both dried their eyes and embraced each other tightly.

This was interrupted, however, when two people approached them. It was May and Dawn. The two Aura Users gave them death glares. Let's just say that if looks could kill, the two coordinators would be at the center of the earth! The two girls stepped back a few steps. "Hey, calm down! We're just passing by!" May began, followed by Dawn. "Yeah. We didn't mean to interrupt you." Ash merely turned away in disgust. "Well, pass by somewhere else. You're not wanted here."

The coordinators were getting irritated, now. "Hey! We said we were sorry! You don't have to be an ass-" May began, but stopped when she and Dawn got a good look at Ash. "Say... you look familiar..." Dawn told him. The boy didn't respond. Instead, he simply glared at her with his left eye, the right once again covered by his hair. It took a few minutes before the girls saw the whole picture.

"... A-Ash? You're alive?" they both exclaimed in shock; they had not heard from him in years. "Yeah. I'm alive... no thanks to YOU!" May and Dawn stepped back at his bark. They knew he was angry with them. As a few seconds passed, they began to understand why. But before they could confront him about it, he was already gone, along with Yuna. "Ash... come back..." May mumbled to herself. Dawn placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's still angry at us... I'm not surprised, considering what we did... or more accurately, what we _didn't_ do..."

Ash looked back to the Wallace Cup as he and Yuna left for their house. "Good riddance... jerks..."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven: The Search Begins**_

Dawn arose at Ashura's house, as Yuna awoke from her slumber. She had not heard Ash wake up, so she decided to check on him. When she entered his room, he wasn't there. "Odd... where could he be?" That's when a thud was heard from the nearby study. Yuna rushed over to make sure nothing had happened. Upon arriving, she found who she was looking for...

Inside the study was Ash, holding a book in his hand that read _The Tenshi Stone_. Judging by the look on his face, as well as the mess of papers on the desk, he had been up all night. The white-haired alchemist sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. "Ash, you've been at this all night. You need to get some sleep." Ash merely shook his head in disagreement. "I've borne this mutation... this _curse_... for years now. The Tenshi Stone is the only hope I have of being free of it..." he paused for a moment. "... and perhaps, freeing you of your own."

Yuna pulled him into a tight embrace. "I know you want to find the stone, but you need your rest." She pulled the boy out of the study and led him to his room. "Get some rest, then we'll continue searching together." Ash was reluctant at first, but after a moment, he finally complied.

A few hours later, Yuna, as well as a fully rested Ash, decided to head back to Nanako's. The woman was returning from the town when she saw the two young alchemists approach. "Ah, you've come back!" she greeted as she welcomed them into her home. The group sat down in the living room and began to converse about the Tenshi Stone.

"I see... so the Tenshi Stone is Ash's only hope of returning to normal..." the woman began. Yuna nodded in confirmation. "Yes. And since then, he's been reading up on it nonstop." Nanako sighed and continued to speak. "Ashura, the Tenshi Stone may very well be gone..." Ash hung his head in defeat. It seemed to him like there was no hope left for him. But as it turned out, she wasn't done yet. "... but I have a friend who may know more about it. His name is Sojiro." Ash's head perked up at those words. "So you're saying that if I find him, he'll tell us about the stone?" Nanako shook her head. "I don't know. He doesn't appreciate it when people hunt the Tenshi Stone down; he believes that they'll misuse it once they find it."

That didn't matter to Ash. All that mattered was that there was a lead to the stone, and a chance to repair the damage done by Team Rocket. "We'll take our chances. Where can we find him?" Nanako looked surprised at his attitude. She was sure that would deter him. "If you insist... he lives in a house in the outskirts of Pallet Town. It's the next town over." Ash froze at that sentence. Pallet Town was his hometown... and where the incident happened. And what of his mother? How would she react to his being away for years? Or his... condition?

But that didn't matter now. He would fix all that was done to them. He had come this far, so there was no way he was backing down. "Okay. We'll go." Both Nanako and Yuna were shocked at his declaration. "But Ash... isn't that where... _it_ happened?" Ash merely gave her a reassuring glance. "That's why we're looking for the stone... to fix everything that's happened..." He then turned to his host and bowed to her. "Thank you, Nanako. You've really helped us with this." he told her as he and Yuna left the house. It was clear where they needed to go now.

Meanwhile, a cloaked figure was listening in from outside. A cloaked figure with white locks coming from his hood. "Pallet Town, huh? Thanks for the info." He gave a sinister chuckle before disappearing into the shadows. Ash and Yuna weren't going to be alone on this trip...


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight: Return to Pallet Town**_

It was midday in the forest connecting Pallet and Karasu Town. Flying through the skies above was a figure with raven-black hair, black wings, and a light pale tail; also known as Ashura. In his arms was a girl with white hair and pale blue eyes, and riding on his back was Pikachu. "I guess this mutation has a _few_ upsides." the raven-haired alchemist sighed. Yuna held tightly onto the boy; she had no plans of falling off. This caused him to turn a bright red.

"There it is." Yuna pointed her head in the direction of an approaching town. This was it This was Pallet Town. "Yes, Yuna... we're home..." Ash descended behind a market near the center of town, hoping to avoid attracting attention. The two alchemists exited the alley and began to search for Sojiro. "Okay, we need to find out which direction Sojiro's home is." As they wandered around town, a loud rumbling sound came from a hill to the east of them. "Something's happening! Come on! Let's go!" Yuna remarked as she headed toward the source of the sound, Ash and Pikachu following promptly.

The duo soon reached the hill and found a house that had smoke emerging from it. "Someone might be in there! Come on!" Ash headed into the building, Yuna and Pikachu in tow. Inside, a man in his mid thirties, with brown hair and green eyes, found himself face to face with a cloaked figure. The same one that was tailing them. "I'm giving you one last chance, Sojiro. Tell me what you know about the Tenshi Stone!" the attacker demanded. "I'll never tell the likes of you _anything_!" the older man, AKA Sojiro, spat.

That's when our heroes entered the scene. Yuna immediately recognized the cloaked person. "Nikura! What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded. Nikura turned his head to see who was speaking. "Well, if it isn't Ashura and Yuna! Funny seeing you here." the Phantom Alchemist taunted. "I heard that Sojiro here knew about the Tenshi Stone, so I came over for a visit."

He was cut off, however, by a large, thorny white vine that shot up from the ground, cutting his arm. He quickly turned his attention to Yuna, the one who caused the vine to grow. "Well, well. It seems your girlfriend has better aim than you, Ashura." the fiend taunted, but soon realized that he wasn't there. One second later, a crystal fist charged with black and blue energy impacted with his back, forcing him to the ground. He turned to see Ash, his crystalline fist glowing. Nikura glared at the raven-haired alchemist; his eyes, which were revealed to be a golden yellow, now visible. "Okay, then. If that's how you want it..."

The Phantom Alchemist wound his own fist back, preparing to attack. Much to the shock of Ash, he _too_ had an arm made of crystal. Blood-red crystal. Nikura then charged his fist with white-and-red energy. The fiend wasted no time charging at Ashura, but was stopped mid attack by another white vine. Nikura snarled at the two; he knew he had been beaten... for now. "Just you two wait! I _**will**_ get that Tenshi Stone!" And with that, he disappeared into the darkness again.

Yuna rushed to Ash's side after that. "The hell? He had... a crystal arm, too..." he mumbled to himself, yet was heard by his friend. "Just who is he?" Before he could think about it more, Sojiro came up to them. "Thank you two. I didn't know if I would make it. The name's Sojiro, by the way." he thanked them. The two alchemists quickly turned their heads to him. "It was no problem. Say, could you help us with a problem we're having? If you wouldn't mind, of course..."

Sojiro merely smiled at them. "Sure can. It's the least I can do."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine: The Story of the Tenshi Stone, and a Familiar Face**_

"So that's happened, huh?" Sojiro pondered aloud. Ashura and Yuna had just finished relaying the stories of their misfortunes, as well as their plans for the Tenshi Stone. "Well, ordinarily, I would never share what I know to others. There's a chance they'd misuse the stone and cause complete chaos, like that Nikura guy you just fought off..." he paused for a second and took a glance into their eyes. "... but your eyes show no evidence of malicious intent. In fact, I can see the pain you've gone through in them. So I'll help you with your search."

The two aura alchemists were relieved. They were one step closer to returning to normal. Sojrio guided them to his study and retrieved a book entitled _The Origins of the Tenshi Stone_. The man began to read the text inside.

"Many years ago, there was a kingdom that ruled over the regions. This kingdom prospered under the rule of the Empress Touko. However, a plague spread across the land, causing many to suffer. In an effort to stop this, Touko called upon Kenji, a trusted Alchemist and Aura User to help her end the despair. This quest took them to a cavern that was abundant in clear gems that amplified alchemic power... however, it was not enough..."

Sojiro paused for a moment, a grim look on his face, before continuing on. "... the empress and alchemist were desperate, but then, Touko and Kenji had an idea... they would combine the stone with aura. When Kenji began to infuse the gemstone with Aura, it began to radiate a great power, and turned blue. This not only enhanced Alchemic Power, but also Aura Power... the resulting gem was dubbed the _Tenshi Stone_... and with it, the two restored the land."

Ash and Yuna were stunned; one stone was powerful enough to end an entire _plague_? However, this opened an opportunity for them. They no longer needed to find the actual stone; they just needed to make one! Yuna spoke up after Sojiro was done. "Wow! So all we have to do is find this gem deposit, and we can make our own stone?" The man gave a deep sigh. By the sound of it, there was a catch. "Yes, but I'm afraid it's easier said than done..." What did he mean? What was stopping them? "The location of this deposit was never disclosed. Apparently, they didn't want just _anyone_ to find it. In fact, my assistant and I are _still_ looking for it..."

As he mentioned those words, a brunette woman with brown eyes came in. Strangely, her appearance caused Ash to freeze in shock. "I'm sorry am I interrupting anything?" She asked. Sojiro merely smiled at her. "Not at all, Delia. I was just helping these two teenagers with a problem they've been having." Delia turned to the teens he was referring to, giving Ash a puzzled glance. "Say, this boy looks familiar..." she began. Yuna turned to her friend, noticing his shocked expression. "Ash, do you know her?" she whispered in his ear. He just sat there. Frozen. After a minute, he tried to speak. "She's... she's..." Sojiro turned his attention to the raven-haired teen. "Well?" Another few minutes passed before he could speak again. "That's... my mother..." he finished with a whisper...

... however, that did not go unheard by Delia, who stared in shock. "Wait... Ash? Is that you?" Ash sighed in defeat; he had hoped she wouldn't hear. But she did... and now he had some explaining to do...


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten: Mother-Son Confrontation and the Renkinji Ore Deposit**_

"Ash?" Delia stood there, dumbfounded. Her son, who ran away for three years, was now sitting right in front of her. Even more shocking was the state he was in; he had wings, a crystal arm, and a tail now, and his right eye was mutated. "Where have you been? And what happened to you?" she half asked and half exclaimed. Tears filled her eyes; she had been deeply worried about him for three years. Ash merely sighed and hung his head in defeat. This was going to take a while. "All right. I'll tell you..."

"It all started when those _ASSHOLES_ I used to call my friends abandoned me. Team Rocket took me to one of their research facilities. There, I was forced to be part of an experiment to create the ultimate Pokemera." "Wait. Pokemera?" the mother interrupted. "Yes. Pokemera. The fusion between pokemon and human. Anyway, they had already succeeded with a few of their injections... but before they could finish, one of the pokemon escaped their cage and wreaked havoc on the lab... allowing me to retrieve Pikachu and get out."

He paused for a moment and shuddered. What he would say next wasn't something he liked to relive. "I escaped the lab... but when I got to the nearby lake, the mutations had already taken their toll... and I became... this." He gestured to his mutations before continuing. "I figures since my former friends didn't care anymore, and considering what I am now, I left Pallet and made my new home in Karasu Town..." Ash then turned to Yuna and gave a light smile. "... where I met Yuna last month." Ash then began to explain Yuna's misfortune.

Delia was speechless; she couldn't believe her son had been through so much in just three years. He continued to speak after a minute. "I understand if you want to run away from me... after all, I _am_ a freak..." he finished before turning away. Mrs. Ketchum didn't know what to say. That's when Sojiro interrupted. "That's why these two wish to find the Renkinji Ore Deposit... so they can create a Tenshi Stone. They wish to fix everything that's happened..."

"I see..." Delia began. "I've heard reports of a strange deposit in the forest near Karasu Town. Maybe _that's_ it." Yuna perked up at this statement. "Then it's settled. We'll go back to Karasu and find that deposit!" Delia merely put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so hasty. The reports may be untrue for all we know." she began, but that didn't deter them. "Why don't you stay the night at my house? Then, tomorrow, we'll all go together." Sojiro and Yuna simply nodded in agreement, while Ash merely hung his head. "Good. We'll get some rest tonight, then head out in the morning..."

Everyone then left the house except for Delia and her son. She gently pulled him back. "... and Ash?" the parent began to speak in a soft tone. What did she have to say? "... I'm your mother... I'll always love you... no matter what you look like. Don't let things get you down... we'll have things back to normal before you know it." That was enough to make a smile form on the raven-haired teen's face as they cought up with the other two.

Meanwhile, a figure watched the whole thing from the shadows. "Good... not only do I have a lead, but now I have a possible hostage I can use..." he said to himself before letting out a sinister chuckle. Just what did the figure have planned? Only time will tell...

The next morning, the group began their trip back to Karasu Town... completely unaware of the cloaked figure that tailed them very closely... this journey would not go as smoothly as planned...


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven: The Third Encounter With the Enemy**_

It was evening when the group arrived at Ash's house, where they decided to stay for the night. "Well, guys, this is where I've been living for the past three years." Ash said as he gestured to the fairly large abode. Sojiro, for one, was impressed with the abode; for a runaway, he did pretty well for himself. They went inside and began exploring; the interior was decorated in a modern Japanese Style. Lucky... Anyway, the teens showed the adults to their rooms, then began to prepare dinner... unaware of the shadowy figure that was watching from outside.

After dinner, the group decided to turn in for the night. The figure's chance to strike would come soon. As soon as midnight came, he made his move and snuck into Delia's room. The woman awoke from a weird dream when it happened... with one swipe from the figure, she was gone, and a note lay in its place.

When morning arose, Yuna was the first to notice the disappearance of Ash's mother. She brought this to Ash and Sojiro's attention and began searching the room. That's when she found the note. The white-haired teen began reading it to the other two.

_Dear Ashura,_

_I have taken your mother and am holding her hostage at the forest just to the east of the town. If you wish to see her again, come with Sojiro. I want every ounce of information on how to create a Tenshi Stone. I'll see you there..._

_... Oh! And if you try to trick me, I can assure you... your mother will spend the rest of her life in total fear!_

_Your Superior,  
>The Phantom Alchemist, Nikura<em>

"D-Damn him..." Ash growled, clenching his fists. "He'll pay dearly for this... I swear it!" Yuna tried to calm him down, but to no avail. "So what are you going to do?" Yuna asked him. "Oh, I'll show up alright... and then I'll recduce his sorry ass into mere _ashes_! Come on!" he declared as he led her and Sojiro to the forest. Along the way, Yuna began to have second thoughts. "Wait, isn't this what he _wants_?" Ash merely looked back and responded, "That's what'll catch him off guard! I'll go in with Sojiro, then you impale him when he's not looking! It's perfect!" Yuna merely sighed at this statement.

Once the group reaced the forest, Nikura stood there, Delia tied up. "Do you have Sojiro?" The man stepped up. "I'll tell you anything. Just don't hurt her." "Oh, no! I wouldn't dream of it!" the fiend replied in a taunting tone. Now was Yuna's chance. She quickly transmuted a white vine, then launched it at Nikura. Victory was assured... until the Phantom Alchemist side-stepped. He then gave a taunting chuckle. "You don't give me enough credit, Ashura. Don't tell me you thought I didn't anticipate that. You DO know I can sense aura too, right?"

Ashura was stunned; that should have worked! Nikura then continued. "Be it as it may, I still won't hurt the woman." The three were confused; if they just tricked him, why isn't he about to kill her? The fiend, however, read these thoughts and gave another sinister chuckle. "Because... I wouldn't go so far... as to kill my own mother..." Ash was outraged at this statement. "What are you talking about? She's _my_ mom!"

"You still haven't figured it out? Well then, I'll just have to show you..." Nikura replied as he removed his cloak... revealing something that would shock everyone...

_*cue "The Key of Darkness" from Birth By Sleep*_

... underneath the hood...was a face identical to Ashura's, except with white hair and golden yellow eyes. Protruding from his back were white-framed bat wings with red skin, as well as a pitch-black tail with a spiked ring circling it. And of course, there was the blood-red crystal arm.

The Ash look-alike began to laugh evilly. After a few seconds, he began to speak. "My name... is Nikura Ketchum. I _am_ the ultimate Pokemera... and I will rid the world of the weaklings that are humans!" Just who is Nikura... and why does he look like Ash?


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve: Nikura's Story and a Difficult Choice**_

The atmosphere was filled with silence. Nikura, the fiend Ash and Yuna had faced in the past, was a facsimile of Ash himself. The original Ketchum spoke up after a minute of silence. "W-what... are you?" he managed to choke out. The fiend merely chuckled at this question before responding. "Well, since you know my true face... I guess I'll tell you."

"It happened after you escaped from Team Rocket. The lab was in shambles from that rogue pokemon attack. However, scientists were able to retrieve blood samples from all of the subjects; including you. The research was continued in another lab. They tried and failed to recreate the serum that was injected into you... but that's when it dawned on them..." Nikura did a dramatic pause in order to tease his opponents. "... The blood sample they got from you... was taken _after_ the serum was fused with your genetic code. So they found a way to recreate the source of the sample, and infused it with Dark Aura from the Griseous Orb they had stolen prior... and I was born."

The group stared in shock at Nikura. The story they just heard shocked them to the core. However, he wasn't done yet. "... I spent the next three years developing my powers. Over time, I had become more powerful than all of them combined! That's when it hit me... why should I be taking orders from weaklings like them? So I killed them all and went it alone." Wait. He _killed_ the people that created him? "I set out to wipe out weaklings and make a perfect world for supreme beings! But alas... I did not have the means to do so... until I heard about the Tenshi Stone... with it, I will eliminate weakness! And only the superior will survive!" As he finished, he let out a maniacal laugh.

Ash couldn't take it anymore; Nikura was bat-shit insane. "... So you'd wipe out entire civilizations... JUST FOR YOUR DAMNED IDEALS?" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Boy, was he pissed. Nikura wasn't intimidated, however, and shrugged it off. "Oh, please. You know it's the smart thing to do..." he turned away before continuing. "... and besides... wouldn't you like to punish those former friends of yours for their weakness?" That was enough to get the Crystal Raven's attention. Nikura noticed this and chuckled. "Hmm? It seems I've piqued your interest... do you want to make them pay for abandoning you?"

Ash didn't answer. He didn't know who to be angry at; Nikura for trying to conquer the world, or his former friends for abandoning him and starting this whole mess? "Join me, and we'll rule this world... and punish those fools for deserting you in your time of need... and of course, Yuna will be your queen..." Now Ash was crimson-red. The way he stated that last bit made his heart race. "I know you like her... you might not know it, but we share a link. I know everything about you... and I know you want her... anyways, it's your choice."

Ash was really torn now; if he opposed Nikura, he might save the world... but if he joined him, he would have justice for his former friend's wrong-doing... and have Yuna's heart... what would he do?


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen: Ash's Final Answer**_

The tension was peaking around the group as Ashura was faced with a difficult descision. On one hand, he's be saving the world, but he'd have to gamble the safety of his mother. On the other hand, his mother would be safe, and he'd have everything his heart desired... but he'd have to aid Nikura in his insane plan. He didn't know what to think... until something came to him. He smirked to himself so that no one else would see it.

The raven-haired teen approached his doppleganger and gave his answer. "Okay, you win... we'll help. It's clear we're outmatched..." The others gawked at his declaration. Yuna quickly approached Ashura and pulled him back before whispering in his ear, "Are you insane? He's gonna kill everyone if we-" she was cut off as Ash whispered something in her own ear. A devious smile formed on her face. The two then relayed their conversation to Sojiro, who nodded in approval.

"Alright. We'll lead you to the ore." the trio agreed as Nikura released Delia. With everything settled, the now group of five began searching for the Renjinki Ore Deposit. After a half-hour of scanning the area, they stumbled upon a large cavern, a faint glow coming from inside. "This must be the place." Ashura guessed. "Judging from the glow coming from inside, this may be the deposit." And with that, the five of them ventured inwards...

... attatched to the cavern walls were clear gems that emitted a bright glow. The akchemists could feel a strange, yet familiar, energy. They could tell this was the Rinjinki Ore. "At last... the power I need to recreate the world..." Nikura spoke in awe as he approached some of the ore. Things seemed to be going in his favor... until...

"NOW!" Ashura yelled before a large, spiny white vine struck Nikura from underground, gashing his flesh-and-blood left arm. This quickly regenerated as he glared furiously at Yuna, the one who had created the vine. "You _so_ didn't want to do that." the fiend snarled, but was again attacked; this time by an elegant black crystal that emitted a blue glow. He knew it was his pure-hearted counterpart's. "Hey, what the hell? You agreed to lead me to the ore!" Ashura merely chuckled at this accusation. "We said we'd _lead_ you to the ore. We never said we'd let you have any of it."

"DAMN YOU AND YOUR TECHNICALITY!" Nikura roared at our heroes, clearly pissed off at them for deceiving him. "Now I'm gonna spill your blood all over the cave floor!" And with that, their third battle with Nikura began... this time, uninterrupted...


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen: The Battle Begins! Ashura and Yuna Vs. Nikura!**_

"Now, I'm gonna spill your blood all over the cave floor!" Nikura exclaimed as he charged his crystal fist with dark aura. "Get ready, Yuna! Here he comes!" Ashura told his friend, to which she nodded and entered a fighting stance.

_Battle!  
>Ashura and Yuna Vs. Nikura!<br>Ready?  
>FIGHT!<em>

Nikura wasted no time in launching a large volley of crystals at his foes. Our heroes easily evaded the attack, but something felt off... as if Nikura wanted them to dodge it. Soon after, they found out why; the fiend had shot two crystal spikes from the ground. Ash was struck on his own crystal arm, so he was safe. Yuna, however, wasn't as lucky. The second spire had made a gash in her arm. The raven-haired soon rushed to her side. "Yuna! Are you okay?" he asked the white-haired Aura Alchemist, who merely shrugged off her pain. "I'm fine! Just go after Nikura!" she responded as she used Aura Regen on her arm. Soon, she was back in the fight, and ready for payback.

Soon, white vines shot from the ground, on her command, and pierced Nikura's flesh arm. The clone then clutched the wounded appendage in pain. "Dammit... you'll pay for that..." he growled as he summoned yet another crystal spire. This time, the two heroes were able to evade once more. Unfortunately... the attack smashed into the Renkinji Ore on the wall. Nikura quickly grabbed the fallen ore... and began to glow a sinister red. Slowly, he rose from the ground, a sadistic smile on his face. "Yes... this is it! The power I've searched for for so long! Now... IT'S MINE!" he shouted as more dark aura surrounded him, eventually enveloping himself in a ball of energy that was nineteen times his size.

Minutes passed... the light died down... and the group was met with the shock of their life... in front of them was a huge demon that looked almost exactly like Nikura! The only differences: he had blood-red armor plating on his lower arms. His legs were gone now, replaced by a long, serpentine lower-body with the same spiked ring that surrounded Nikura's tail. He had two wings now, and both eyes were golden yellow with black scleras.

The fiend looked at the two heroes with a sadistic look. "Behold the true power of Dark Aura Alchemy! Behold the power of... YOKORA!" he shouted to the heavens, uttering a maniacal laugh. Soon, he began to emit a powerful surge of Dark Aura from the ground. A surge that slowly corrupted everything around it. "Now, Ashura! Watch in terror as everything you know and love is devoured by darkness!" he shouted as he continued to corrupt everything.

"This is bad... really, really bad..." Yuna managed to say, still shocked. Ashura couldn't believe it; Nikura finally won. He soon fell to his knees, ready to accept defeat... until... memories of his time with Yuna flooded his mind. "No... it isn't over... I can't let it end like this!" he declared before a brilliant white-and-blue aura surrounded him. The aura came from the deposits of ore, causing shock to the demon pokemon. "What? This can't be... he's... absorbing the ore's power!"

"After I was abandoned by my former friends, I was on the verge of giving up life... I couldn't take the lonliness anymore... but then, Yuna came into my life... and restored my will to live... she understood my pain, and she accepted me for what I am..." he continued as the aura grew more intense. "I owe her for that... I owe her everything... but that's not why I chose to pursue this goal... it's because... she brought love back into my life..." Yuna was shocked at those words. She brought love back into his life? Did that mean... he loved her? Her inner question was soon answered. "I will not give up... I will continue to fight... for my mother, whom I love dearly, but not just for her... but for the other woman I love as well... for Yuna!" he finished, causing even more shock to the white-haired teen. He loved her... and he was fighting this battle for her.

Soon, the aura surrounding Ashura bacame blinding, and everyone, even Nikura, shielded their eyes. When the light died down, everyone was met with shock... in Ashura's place was a being with a white face, torso plate, lower arm plates, hands, and lower armor, which had a tail protruding from of the posterior. The neck, midriff, and upper arms were a medium grey. Protruding from its back were large, angelic blue wings, and two haloes were found; one above its head and the other circling the tip of its tail. What really stood out about it, though, was the fact that it bore a resemblance to Ashura, from its long, raven-black hair to the marks on its face.

The angellic-looking pokemon then glared at the demon. "Alright, you fiend! It's time to meet your end! Yokora, meet Tenshiora!" he shouted at the demon pokemon, who was still shocked at the ordeal, but nonetheless decided to fight him.

The final battle was about to begin...


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen: The Final Battle! Tenshiora Vs. Yokora!**_

Yuna, Delia, and Sojiro stared in shock. None of them could believe their eyes; Ashura had turned into Tenshiora! And now, he was about to face the demon known as Yokora! The Divine Pokemon then turned to his loved ones. "Stay back! This is gonna get rough!" he told them before turning back to the Demonic Pokemon. Truly, this was the final battle...

_*Cue 'Vs. Reshiram/Zekrom' music*_

Both Pokemon soon took their battle stances and attacked. Yokora came after the angel with a Dark Aura Fist, but was evaded. Tenshiora soon took the opportunity to attack, and used Aura Storm, which hit the demon square on the back. Nikura wasn't going to take that sitting down. Soon after, the Demonic Pokemon charged at Ashura with a hyper-charged Dark Aura Fist, hitting him straight across his face and sending him flying back. Soon, another attack struck the angel.

The two pokemon kept exchanging attacks, Tenshiora looking more tired after every attack. Yuna grew more and more concerned. "Come on, Ash... hang in there..." she thought as the two legendary pokemon duked it out. Soon, she was met with horror... Ashura was smashed into the cave wall, leaving him badly injured. And now, Nikura was about to finish him off. "No... you can't die, Ashura... you can't!" she panicked over his current state. "... you're the only one that ever cared about me... who considered me a friend, and not a freak... I... love you..." she finished, despair evident in her face.

But soon, something shocking happened. The Divine Pokemon began to glow a bright blue. "Wait! This is impossible! You should be severely crippled by now!" Yokora exclaimed as his opponent arose from the ground... and flew up to the sky. Soon after, his voice called from the heavens. "DIVINE STORM!" he called. After that, a massive blast of sky-blue energy came down on Yokora. The monster screamed in pain as the blast slowly burned away at his form.

Soon, the light died down... and Nikura was back to his old self, only this time, he was severely injured. "... Wh- what? No... this can't be happening! My power! It's gone!" he shouted, gazing upon his battered form. He soon turned to Ashura, who had also returned to his normal (well, the current version of normal) state, and charged at him. "DAMN YOU, ASHURA! NOW YOU DIE!" But soon, he stopped in mid-air, his face looking as if he had just been stabbed in the chest. Seconds later, a glowing blue line divided him in half, and soon after, the halves separated. As it happened, he began to disintegrate into nothingness (Think about the Rebound from trying to bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange in FMA). That was it. The end of Nikura. All that was left was a shred of the white pants he wore...

The three bystanders soon turned to see Ashura, extending his index and middle fingers in the form of a gun, a glowing blue energy blade coming from them. Seconds after that, the blade faded, and the raven-haired teen collapsed from exhaustion. "No! Ash!" Yuna yelled as she rushed to her friend's side. "Please... be okay..." Soon, Sojiro came and took his pulse. "He's alive, but he's exhausted. He needs rest." he told the other two.

The next day, Ashura slowly regained consciousness, only to find himself in his room. Standing next to his bed were Sojiro and Delia. "Good... we were afraid we'd lost you..." Delia said to her son. The boy tried to get up, but was held down by the man. "That last attack of yours took a lot out of you. You're still weak. You need to rest." he told him. Ash reluctantly complied, but then asked where Yuna was. "Right here..." came a voice from the doorway. It was Yuna. The white-haired girl approached the side of the bed and raised her hand. Soon after... *SMACK!* the back of her hand met the boy's face. An anrgy expression rested on the girl's own face.

Ash placed his hand on his cheek, trying to relax the pain. "Hey, what was that fo-" he began... but was cut off when Yuna crashed her lips into his. The boy was shocked at first, but soon began to kiss back. After a minute, the two broke apart, and the girl's angry expression was replaced with a relieved one. "Don't you ever worry me again!" she told him as she pulled him into an embrace. "I love you too much to lose you..." This shocked Ash even more, but nonetheless, he was glad she felt the same way about him, and returned the hug. Sojiro and Delia smiled at each other knowingly, and left the room, giving the teens privacy.

One question remaianed... what next?


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter X: The Epilogue**_

The next day, Ash and Yuna sat on a hill nearby the Ashura Household. The two were snuggling up to each other, enjoying each other's company, when Sojiro came in, something glowing in hand. "Hey Sosuke, what's that?" the two asked, only to be met with surprise... in his hand was a shard of Renkinji Ore. "I managed to sneak this here after the fight with Nikura. Now, there's nothing stopping you from creating a Tenshi Stone... now you can get your lives back..." the man responded. The teens looked at each other, then made their decision.

"Thanks... but we'll pass..." the raven-haired boy told him. Shock overcame the older man's face. "Wait... what? But... you've been looking for this power! Why won't you take it?" The two simply gave a warm smile. "We don't need it anymore. At first, we thought these mutations were a curse... but now, we realize they were a blessing in disguise..." Sojiro stared for a minute, but then smiled at the two. "I'm glad you two are happy..." he added.

That's when a voice came from nowhere. "So May and Dawn were right... you are alive..." The three turned to see Ash's old friends: May, Dawn, Brock, Max, Misty, Tracey, Gary, Iris and Cilan. All of them had sad looks on their faces. The raven-haired boy's expression soon turned sour. "What do _you_ want?" he spat at the group, causing them to flinch. Iris was the first to speak. "Look. We're sorry we turned our backs on you. The truth is, we never wanted to leave you..." Ash didn't trust them, though. How could he?

That's when Brock continued. "The reason we left you was because we were forced to. Some more grunts came and attacked your mother, so we had to fend them off. By the time we came back, you were gone." Cilan was next. "After that, we had a search party look for you, but when they couldn't find you, they just up and pronounced you dead." Next, Misty. "Since then, we tried to move on, but couldn't. When May and Dawn told us they saw you, we didn't believe them at first..." Finally, Gary spoke. "But through much convincing, they got us to come here. It's a good thing we did... or we would have never seen you again..."

Ash couldn't believe it; his friends cared about him after all... Soon, a tear fell from his mutated right eye, which prompted Yuna to wrap her arms around him. "See? They do care. What do you say? Forgive them?" After a minute, Ash had made his decision. "Apology... accepted..." The group was awash with relief. Their friend understood them, and forgave them. That's when Yuna pulled him in for a passionate kiss, which he gladly returned. The others were shocked beyond belief; Ash? With a girl? But soon, their shocked faces turned into proud ones. They were happy for him. Happy that he found love.

A month later, everyone was celebrating Ashura's Eighteenth Birthday. But the greatest surprise wasn't given to him. No. It was one he gave to Yuna. For as they were celebrating, Ash got in front of Yuna, got down on one knee, and pulled out a black box. "Yuna... you brought light back into my life when I was surrounded by darkness... you stuck by my side when no one else would, or could... I love you with all my heart... and because of that, I ask you this question today..." he paused before opening the box... which contained a platinum ring with a large, pale blue gem on it. "... Yuna Toumeinayuki... will you marry me?"

Yuna was at a loss for words. Tears filled her eyes as she picked up the ring. Soon after, she pulled Ash into a tight embrace. "Of course I'll marry you." And with that, the two began to make out, the others watching with proud smiles on their faces.

The day of the wedding, all of the couple's loved ones showed up, even Nanako and Sojiro, who had started dating three weeks prior. Of course, Yuna's parents weren't there, as they were sentenced to death for attempted murder. Anyways, after the long speech, the two Aura Alchemists exchanged their vows and kissed each other. This was the happiest day of their lives...

_-Ashura's House, Karasu Town-  
>-Six Years Later-<em>

Yuna awoke from her slumber, and rose from the bed. She then looked down at and rubbed her swollen belly, a smile on her face. But soon, she noticed something; where was her husband? She exited the room and entered the kitchen, where she found her husband cooking breakfast; chocolate chip pancakes with scrambled eggs. But she also found someone else... a five-year-old boy with Yuna's white hair and dark skin tone, but her husband's brown eyes and zigzag marks, as well as his blue wings and tail. The child was petting Pikachu, as well as Lopunny, whom the woman had received in a trade from Dawn, who felt that she couldn't keep the rabbit pokemon from her love anymore.

Yuna soon decided to make her presence known. "Good morning, Ash. Shoji." she chimed, which earned their attention. The raven-haired man slowly pulled her into a hug. "Good morning, dear. How did you sleep?" "Quite nicely with you to snuggle against." the woman replied before being hugged by Shoji. "Good morning, Mommy!" he chimed before having his hair stroked by his mother. "Hello, son." she responded before pecking him on the forehead. That's when the father interrupted. "Breakfast is ready!" And with that, the family began to eat.

At the table, Shoji began scarfing down his meal, which earned a slight scold from his father. "Shoji! How many times have I told you to mind your manners?" The child seemed sad, but sson, his mother spoke. "Oh, come on, Ash. You were the same way when you were younger." The man merely blushed in embarassment, but soon sweatdropped when he saw what his wife was eating; she had topped her pancakes with hot sauce, pickles and whipped cream. Yuna noticed Ash's look, and gave him a teasing glare. "Oh, come on! I'm pregnant! What did you expect?" The man then appproached his wife and pecked her on the cheek. "I know, hunny... I know..." The woman smiled warmly at him and kissed him back.

At the start of this story, Ashura thought he was cursed, but now, he considered himself the luckiest guy in the world. He now had a loving wife, and they were now part of a family of three, soon to be four.

It just goes to show you... sometimes, a curse is really a blessing in disguise...


End file.
